Centerville City Clerk Kris May attended the Municipal Clerks Academy recently at Iowa State University. The three-day Academy was conducted by ISU Extension's Office of State and Local Government Programs July 23-25 in Ames.

Advanced topics offered in this session included staying sane at work and connected at home, electronic record keeping, emergency management procedures, project management, establishing a bond rating, tracking tax abatement, payroll and benefits procedures, preparing for the 2010 census, post-employment benefits and building an effective relationship between state and local government.

The program is sponsored by the Office of State and Local Government Programs in conjunction with the Iowa Municipal Finance Officers Association. Instructors include ISU faculty, extension staff, state agency officials, consultants, attorneys, staff from the Iowa League of Cities and city clerks.

By attending the academy, participants increase their knowledge and skills to better serve the citizens of their communities and they get credit toward maintaining their professional certifications, ac­cording to Paul Coates, director of the Academy and the Office of State and Local Government Programs.